Relaxation Techniques – Flight of an Eagle

This is one of my own personal favorite relaxations. The Eagle Spirit Symbolizes: Strength, Courage, Wisdom, Prestige, Spirit, Balance, Healing, Faith, Meditation, and Connection with Higher Power, Freedom, Awareness, Perspective, and Insight. If caught in bad weather he will chose to fly above it. The eagle represents endurance and strength for me, qualities we as humans possess but often lack the belief in ourselves and our ability to use them. So for this relaxation focus on the qualities you wish to strengthen within yourself.

Setting up:

Find a warm comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed.

Light some candles.

Light some incense.

Play some soft gentle music.

Lie down, wrap yourself in a blanket make yourself as comfortable as possible and place an eye bag upon your eyes.

Lead into relaxation: (this is important as it eases tension from your body)

Allow your legs to be hip distance apart with ankles in and toes plopping out to the side.

Become aware of your right leg, from the hip right down to the tips of your toes, raise it about an inch or two off the floor, tense all the muscles before gently allowing the leg to drop back down and relax. Repeat for the left side.

Bring your awareness into your buttocks, squeeze tightly together, lift your hips a little and hold, before gently releasing and allowing them back down onto the mat and relaxing.

Consciously relax your lower back, belly, upper back, upper chest, relax your shoulders move them down and away from your ears and RELAX. Allow these areas to grow heavy towards the earth and just release any tension or tightness.

Become aware of your right arm, raise it an inch or so off the floor, make a fist, and tense your whole arm before gently letting the tension go and releasing your arm back to the floor. Repeat for the left side. Allow your hands and fingers to relax.

Squeeze all the muscles in your face up tight, then release, relax and let go. Allow your eyes to soften, relax your temples and forehead. Become aware of any gripping in your jaw and relax by moving your jaw from side to side. Allow your tongue to rest on your lower palate and relax your entire face, ears and head.

Allow your mind to settle and become still. Then gently bring your awareness to your breath. Become aware of your own natural rhythm as you gentle breathe in and out. Allow your mind to become still and calm as you gently come back into harmony with yourself. BREATHE…..

Visualization:

Now I invite you to visualize yourself as an Eagle perched high up on the side of a mountain. Visualize yourself in great detail, the colours of your wings, the mountain you are perched upon, the area around you and beneath you.

Give yourself permission to experience the strength, confidence, grace and poise of the Eagle and feel yourself growing more and more in confidence.

Call to mind anything that causes you stress or anxiety. Know that you too possess the strength and courage of the eagle and you have the ability to deal with these stresses and anxieties.

Then gently, extend your wings, spread them wide and observe the beauty of them. Feel the strength and power within them as they gently carry you off your perch and out into the freedom of the sky.

Give yourself permission to experience this freedom. Feel the air around you. See the valleys and forest below. Feel yourself floating and soaring through the sky free of all constraints, anxieties and ties.

Allow your mind to drift and go where it needs to go, trust in yourself, you have the power, you have the strength, and you will cope.

Notice the sense of peace and calm you feel whilst soaring.

Allow yourself time to find perspective and clarity.

Then gently see yourself returning once more to your perch. Gently re-extend your wings once more before nestling them back in around you.

Keeping this sense of lightness, peace and calm with you allow yourself to become aware once more of the ground beneath you.

Bring your awareness once more to your breath and with each breath in that you take allow your awareness to travel deeper and deeper back into the room. Becoming aware of sounds both inside and outside of your room.

Then gently wriggle fingers, twiggle toes, stretch, yawn do whatever you may feel you need to do to bring your awareness fully back to the present moment.